Automatic floor mop



Dec. 18, 1956 L. H. BROWN AUTOMATIC FLOOR MOP 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 15, 1954 R O T N N 1 ATTCIRNEYS Dec. 18, 1956 1.. H. BROWN AUTOMATIC FLOOR MO? 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 15, 1954 INVENTOR. i @sfiarf-K Brown ATTEI RN EYS United States Patent AUTOMATIC FLOOR MOP Lester H. Brown, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application October 15, 1954, Serial No. 462,554

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-98) 2,774,089 Patented Dec. 1s,19se

a s lC tainer 19 to the top thereof, and a lid 22 is releasably supported above the filter 21. Thus, by removing the lid '22 the filter 21 can be removed so that it .can .be cleaned, or else by removing the lid 22 access canbe gained to .the interior of the container. 7

'The bottom of the container 19 is provided with an opening 23 through which is adapted to pass the fluid 20, and a bushing 24 which is hollow and which is made of a suitable yieldable material such as rubber extends through the opening 23. The ends of the bushing 24 are open. A manually operable valve means is provided for controlling the flow of fluid through the rubber bushing 24, and this means comprises a movable bracket 25 which surrounds the bushing 24. The bracket 25 is adapted to be used for forcing the rubber bushing 24 against a stationary stop member 26, and the stop member 26 issecured to the bottom of the container 19. A

floor mop includes a container for holding fluid such as soapy water whereby'the water passes down onto rotary cleaning elements and onto the floor to be cleaned, and .then thefluid containing the dirt, lint and the likeirom the floor is automatically picked up and carried back into the machine and then this fluid is filtered so that the foreign matter is removed therefrom whereby thefluid which continually circulates through the machine is clean.

A further object of the invention is .to provide an automatic floor. mop which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be .apparentduring the course of the following description.

the accompanying drawings, forming va part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to desi gnate likeparts throughout the same: I

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the automatic floor mop.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the floor mop.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on -.the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1. I

.Figure,6 is .a sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a .plan view of one of the mounting plates for the cleaning element.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a horizontally disposed base which can be made of any suitable material, and extending upwardly from the base 19 is ahollow housing ,11,-and the housing 11 may have its lower end connected to the base 10 in any suitable manner as for example by means of screws 12. A handle 14 projects upwardly from the housing 11 and ,is secured thereto so that the mop canbe readily moved along the floor, Figure l.

Depending from the base 14)- and connected thereto is ,a plurality of castor wheels 15, 16 and 17. The wheel .17 may be swivelly connected to the base-10 by means of a stub shaft 18. Positioned in the housing 11 and supported on the base .10 is a hollow container 19 which is adapted to 1 hold a quantity of cleaning fluid such as soapy water 20.

A'eylindrical filter 21 which may be, madeof reticulated =material, extends upwardly from the-bottom .ofthe consuitable cable 27 may be connected to the bracket '25, and .the cable 27 is trained over a guide member 28 and then the cable passes up through a grommet 29 in the housing 11. The cable 27 may also be further arranged in engagement with a guide member 30 which is mounted on the handle 14, and the cable can extend upward to a suitable manually operable lever on the top of the handle.

Extending upwardly from the base 10 and secured thereto is a plurality of support members 33 which serve .as a support for a conventional electric motor 31 that is adapted to be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy by means of a wire or cable 32. A drive shaft 34 is operated by the motor 31, and a pulley 35 is mounted on the lower end of the shaft 34. An endless belt 36 trained over the pulley 35, and the belt 36 is also trained The top of the rotary drum 40 is open as at 43, while the bottom is open as at 44 for a purpose to be later described. The drum 40 further includes a continuous side wall 45 which has a flaring shape so that the upper end of the side wall 45 is of greater diameter than hhe lower end. A horizontally disposed partition 47 is positioned in the drum 40, and the portion of the drum above the partition 47 is shaped to provide an enlarged cylindrical chamber 46. There is provided in the partition 47 adjacent its outer periphery a plurality of spaced apart cutouts or openings 48, Figure 4, and these openings are adapted to permit water or other fluid to pass upwardly into the chamber 46.

Dependingfrom the partition 47 is a plurality of pins or bolts 49, and arranged in engagement with the lower ends of these boltsare plates 54, Figure 8. The plates 54 are provided with slots 55 through which extend the bolts 49, and coil springs 50 are circumposed on each of the bolts 49, and the coil springs 50 are interposed between the partition 47 and the plates 54. Cleaning elements are secured to the plates 54 in any suitable manner, and the cleaning elements are indicated by the numeral 51. These cleaning elements may be in the nature of sponges or the like. Surrounding the rotary drum 40 is a stationary guard of frusto-conical shape, and the upper end of the guard .52 is secured to the lower surface of the base 10 in any suitable manner, as for erample by means of securing elements 53.

The automatic mop of the present invention further includes a vertically dis posed tube 56 which has its upper end 57. communicating with the interior of the container '19 whereby fluid will empty through the end 57 'into the container 19. The lower end po'rtio'n'58" wall'45 of the drum 40 by centrifugal force and this water and dirt will then pass upwardly through the openings 48 into the enlarged chamber 46. As the drum 40 rotates, this fluid will enter the end 58 of the tube and then'pass upwardly through the tube and empty through the outlet end 57 into the container 19. The filterf21 will remove out. all of the foreign matter 'so that the clean water will 'recirculate'down through the bushing24, then through the passageway 39 and onto the floor being cleanedf The rotary sponges 51 will loosenthe dirt and cause the water to be thrown by centrifugal force onto the inclined wall 45 so, that this cycle is continuous. A latch 60 maybe provided for maintaining the container 19 and housing 11 connected 7 together.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there has been provided an automatic floor mop. In use the container l19 may be supplied with a suitable quantity of liquid or fluid such as soapy water and then the device is moved along the floor by means of the wheels 15,16 and 17.

The handle 14 can be used for guiding the device, and

the motor 31 is connected to the electricalenergy supply by means of the wire 32. As' the motor .31 is actuated, the shaft 34 will rotate the pulley 35 and this in turn will cause rotation of the shaft 38 due to'the provision of the endless belt 36. At the same time water from' the container 19 will flow through the bushing 24 then down through the passageway 39 and onto the floor being cleaned. The drum 40 is rotated by means of the pulley 37 so that the cleaning elements 51 which may be sponges, cause the water and ,dirt which has been loosened on the floor to be thrown up by centrifugal force against the inclined continuous wall 45. This dirty water then passes upwardly by centrifugal force through the openings 48 and into the enlarged chamber 46. Since the tube 56 is stationary and the drum 40 is rotating, then'the dirty water in the chamber 46 will be thrown up into the tube 56 and this dirty water will empty out into the container 19. The filter 21 will prevent the dirt or other foreign matter from recirculating through the bushing 24. If it is desired to stop the flow of water through the bushing 24, it is only necessary to manually pull on the cable 27 whereby the bracket 25 will coact with the stop member 26 -to close off the tube or bushing 24 and prevent further flow of water therethrough. The cleaning elements .51 constantly rotate since they are connected to the plates 54 which in turn are connected to the partition 47 of the drum;

40 by means of the bolts 49 r The present invention thus is directed to an automatic floor mop which will automatically apply water and soap or other cleaning material to the floor, and clean be of 'the self-lubricating type."

will cause thewater to flowthrough the sponges to the outer edge thereof and fly off the end of the sponges. Since there is a constant flow of water being picked up off of the floor and passing through the sponges 51 as they travel over the floor, the dirt is loosened'and carried away with thewater. As the water leaves the sponges, it strikes the lower edges of the wall 45 of the drum 40 which tapers to a larger diameter at the top. Since the centrifugal force of the water against this slanting side wall 45 is greater than the gravitational pull of the water, the water will flow up the side 45 (of the drum and through the holes 48 and into the trap'46 which is formed by increasing the diameter of'the drum above the partition 47 and then decreasingthe diameter above that point. The water thus trapped in the chamber 46"trayels with the rotation of the drum 40 around to the. pipe 56 and the lower end '58 of the pipe fits closely in the" trap 46 and the open end of the pipe faces in the 'directionof rotation of the drum. Thus," as the water isicarriedaround by the drum the water strikes the open end 58 of the pipe 56..and the inertia of the water carries it up through the pipe 56 and back into the container 19. r I

Thesponges' 51 are connected to metal backing plates 54which are connectedto the partition 47 by'the pins heldon the fioor and whereby there will be compensation for wear of the sponges;

.When the device is being used as ajfloor'polis her; stifi brushes of the same size are .used in lieu of the sponges 51; "Furthermore, soft cotton brushes can be used in placeof the sponges. when the mop is being used :as-a

wax applicator. When the device is beinglused as ,a

wax applicator, a different container is used to replace the container 19. 1 I

Thus, it will beseen that there has been provided an automatic mop which is simple to use and construct, and

the floor and remove the dirt and water and cleaning preparation from the floor in one operation. The water to be used is carried in the container 19 and this container can be removed when it is to be filled or emptied.

The lid 22 can be removed from the container so that the container can be filled or emptied and also this lid can be removed when the screen 21 is to be cleaned.

' The screen 21 collects lint, hair or other dirt or foreign 'matter that is removed from the floor and prevents this foreign matter from recirculating through the mop. The flow of water through the valve or bushing 24 can be controlled by a lever mounted on the mop handle. The

water flows throughthe bushing 24,- through the passageis of a small size and by changing the sponges so that .the device uses brushes, there can be provided a mop,-

wax applicator, or floor poli'sher.

I claim: V L'In ac'leaning'implement, -a horizontally disposed .base, a hollow housing mounted on said base, acontainer for holding a quantity of fluid positioned in said housing and supported on said base, a'cylindrical filter positioned in said container, a-lid removably mounted on said container above said filter, there'being an opening.

in the-bottom of said container, a hollow bearing arranged in 'said' base; a vertically disposed driven shaft rotatably supported in sad bearing and provided with: a bore, a resilient bushing positioned in the opening in the bottom of said container, a bracket arranged in engagement with said bushing, a manually operable cable 'connectedto said bracket, a 'first pulley mounted onthe upper end of said shaft, a motor mounted on said base and positioned in said housing, a'drive shaft operated by said motor, a secondpulley mounted on said drive shaft, an endless belt trained over said first and second pulleys, a hollow open drum having a truncated, conical annular wall directly joined intermediate its bottom and top by a partition'connected centrally thereof and coaxially with said drum directly to said driven shaft, said partition provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced cutouts adjacent, its junction-with said wall, a

tube having its lower end projecting down'into thetop portion of said drum adjacent said cutouts and its upper end communicating with said container, the truncated end of the conical wall being its bottom, a plurality of spring pressed plates secured to said partiton and arranged therebelow, a cleaning element connected to the lower surface of each of said plates, a guard secured to said base and surrounding said rotary drum, wheels positioned below said base and connected thereto, and a handle extending upwardly from said housing and secured thereto.

2. In a cleaning implement, a base, a hollow housing mounted on said base, a container for holding a quantity of fluid positioned in said housing and supported on said base, a filter positioned in said container, a lid removably mounted on said container, there being an opening in the bottom of said container, a hollow bearing arranged in said base, a driven shaft rotatably supported in said bearing and provided with a bore, a resilient bushing positioned in the opening in the bottom of said container, a bracket arranged in engagement with said bushing, a cable connected to said bracket, a first pulley mounted on said shaft, a motor mounted on said base and positioned in said housing, a drive shaft operated by said motor, a second pulley mounted on said drive shaft, an endless belt trained over said first and second pulleys, a

6 hollow open drum having a truncated, conical annular Wall directly joined intermediate its bottom and top by a partition connected centrally thereof and coaxially with said drum directly to said driven shaft, said partition provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced cutouts adjacent its junction with said wall, a tube having its lower end projecting down into the top portion of said drum adjacent said cutouts and its upper end communicating with said container, the truncated end of the conical wall being its bottom, a plurality of spring pressed plates secured to said partition and arranged therebelow, a cleaning element connected to each of said plates, a guard secured to said base and surrounding said rotary drum, wheels positioned below said base and connected thereto, and a handle extending upwardly from said housing and secured thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,479 Nelson Mar. 18, 1902 2,518,183 Rennc Aug. 8, 1950 2,667,652 Engel Feb. 2, 1954 2,680,260 Danielsson June 8, 1954 

